Yesterday, I went in for my biannual teeth cleaning at the dentist (in the US, dentists schedule routine cleanings once every 6 months). After the cleaning was done, I receive the dentist’s reminder card at the front desk stating that my next visit is scheduled for May 2012.
Now while it’s true the office will call me a few days before the day of the next cleaning, and probably send a card in postal mail to boot, I’m obviously not going to remember something scheduled six months ago. To compensate for this, I use electronic calendar scheduling.
Before I tell you which electronic scheduling engine I use personally, you basically have four choices when it comes to this.
- Cell phone calendar
- Standalone computer software calendar such as Windows Live Mail, Mozilla Lightning/Sunbird, Microsoft Outlook, Evolution, etc.
- Internet-based calendar that integrates into your webmail such Yahoo! Calendar, AOL Calendar, Windows Live Calendar, Google Calendar and so on.
- Sync-enabled calendar via smartphone app, which is usually the same calendar options as choice 3 above.
Even the cheapest cell phone has a calendar feature with alarm reminders, but I don’t use a phone’s internal calendar for the simple reason that I don’t know if I’m going to have the same cell phone six months from now or not. It doesn’t matter whether you use prepaid or post-paid, because, well, sh*t happens when it comes to phones. While many of you keep phones for at least two years due to contractual obligation, the phone may get dropped, break and need replacement. If broken badly enough, all the data that’s inside it may be permanently inaccessible.
I stray away from standalone calendar software because most of the time the sync feature either isn’t there or does have it but is annoying to use. Windows Live Mail can sync easily to a Hotmail calendar as is Evolution with the fact it can sync to iCalShare, but both exhibit the same wonky problem of on-again/off-again "can’t sync right at the moment, please try later" crapola.
Internet-based calendars are great because they’re not dependent on whether your phone or even your computer is working or not. If your phone breaks, that’s awful but the calendar is still out there with all your data. If you have a major operating system failure on your PC, that’s also awful, but again the calendar is still on the internet and you didn’t lose anything.
The sync of an internet-based calendar via smartphone app is the best of all worlds because you have complete access to your calendar via phone and PC, both using the same calendar – but this doesn’t come without some rather ritzy requirements. If you have a current iPhone, Windows Phone or Android Phone, you’re good to go because you have apps at-the-ready that are 100% known to work. If you don’t, you might be able to download an app for your internet-based calendar but the chance of it working 100% usually isn’t that good. And of course you may encounter the same wonky on-again/off-again sync issues desktop software has.
Which is the best solution?
If you have a current smartphone where a calendar app is available for the internet-based calendar you use, then by all means, use it. This is without a doubt the most convenient way to administer a calendar when on-the-go.
The second best solution is to use an internet-based calendar that has the ability to send out SMS text reminders to your cell phone; this is the method I use personally.
All modern internet calendars can send out reminders three ways, that being email, instant message and SMS text. The SMS option does require you to give your phone number to your calendar provider, and then it will appear as an option when creating or editing events as a reminder/alarm choice.
"But I don’t want to give AOL/Yahoo/Microsoft/Google my phone number!’
If you want the most convenient way to be reminded of calendar events to your phone without a smartphone app, and have it in a way that will work regardless of what phone you’re using at the time, you’ll have to give over your number. If you don’t want to do that, fine, that’s your choice – but you won’t be able to get SMS texts from your calendar otherwise unless you pony up some cash for a ritzy smartphone with the proper calendar app option.
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Preparing 2012 In and around NSW School Holiday Dates
Given that the NSW School Holidays 2011 are about concluded preparation for the upcoming school year can be something that fathers and mothers statewide must do, in addition to for everyone dwelling in NSW. It is handy having a set of all school holiday dates inside your diary as it can end up being necessary when coming up with decisions on holiday preparations for the excitedly awaited getaway or that soothinglong week-end away. Understanding the date ranges for NSW School Holidays 2012 shall be an essential part in organizing several things for the following year, so getting them in the diary early may help moms and dads to arrange for the upcoming year. This will make sure that they may prepare their holiday by planning days off to enjoy their intended Holidays.
One of many reasons that many of us should obtain the list of NSW School Holidays 2012is always tomake sure thatthey may get plans available with regards to their annual 2012 trip. Irrespective of whether they organize a holidayin the course of the Autumn Holidays or plan a trip outside of scheduled school Holidays later in the year will depend on when time is available on the holiday roster at their place of employment. The Autumn Holidays will fall between 6 April 2012 and 20 April 2012 for next year’s holiday, and will also be the best time to think about taking your firstholiday of the year.
One moreessential thingto contemplate in regards to planning for next year’s school Holidays is to try to decide ifchildcare should bearranged. There might beevent programs that could bearranged in the region that willprovideperfectentertainment and learning for the youngstersin the course of the holiday season. Simply because it isonly a fortnightlong, many mothers and fathers will overlook the winter Holidays. As it happensthe 2012 winter Holidays fall between 2 July and 13 July for this particular year, it happens to be really important in getting these NSW School Holidays 2012 marked on the calendar specifically for arranging that most important skiing holiday at theSnowy Mountains or Mt Hotham in Victoria.
Scheduling the time off at the office for as many Holidays as you can should help parents to have just as much holiday time as you can with their family. There are a variety ofcompanies where numerous workers’ have small children, the early submission of your holiday requests can be very essential to ensure you secure holiday time to spend a portion of theNSW School Holidays 2012 as a family group. Some employers will arrange special programs for individuals who do have kids through the 2012 School Holidays NSW. Using these facilities provided may be a great approach to combine work and Holidays. In smaller companies, they can be in a position to give you a flexible working program in the course of school holiday periods for people who can’t take a holiday during those timesof the year.
And also investigating things such as Holidays away and childcare arrangements for 2012 NSW School Holidays, it happens to be also essential to make sure that time is placed aside for the children to do some activity work in those periods. For some children it will simply be homework, while some will be involved in a volunteer program. This will allow them to workin an effort tobenefit a charitable organization or perhaps thecommunity as a whole. This is definitely anexcellent method to help develop their character and independence in the course of the 2012 School Holidays.
Probably the most important holiday to arrange for shall be that one that is furthest away, and that is typically the summer Holidays which will begin on 24 December 2012. The end of the 2012 NSW School Holidays will come once the new school year begins on 29 January 2013. Many fathers and mothers who happen to be currently employed should prepare or have arrangements set up with regard to their younger children to be properly supervised through the holiday season periods, when they’re required to attend their place of work. This can be since it happens to be often extremely tough for fathers and mothers to set up childcare or register youngsters within an events program at the last minute.
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